No Highway 12 funds in transportation bill

WALLA WALLA — Funds for the next phase of four-laning U.S. Highway were not included in the transportation bill passed by the Legislature earlier this week.

Port of Walla Walla Executive Director Jim Kuntz said the no-new-taxes budget kept existing programs funded, but didn’t allow any money for the $126 million needed to widen Highway 12 from Lowden to Touchet.

Kuntz said funding for the project would have to be discussed at the upcoming special session schedule to begin May 13.

The Highway 12 project was ranked seventh on a draft list of 27 highway improvement projects proposed by the House Transportation Committee earlier this month.

Much of the planning on the project has been completed, Kuntz said, including the route layout, environmental permitting and some rights of way acquisition.

The Lowden to Touchet widening would be the seventh phase of the project to four-lane the highway from Walla Walla to Burbank. The final phase would extend the four-laning from Touchet to the Wallula area.

Lawmakers have left aside for now the more contentious question of a transportation revenue package that would augment the budget. That debate is set to resume in the special session, during which lawmakers’ primary focus will be to work toward a deal on the operating budget.

Comments

I can see where this might lead to confusion about the role of Senators Murray and Cantwell; but I believe that this article deals with the House and Senate debate in Olympia involving Senator Hewitt, Representative Walsh, and Representative Nealey.

The transportation needs and wants in Washington have a very large price tag. Our representatives in Olympia will be grappling with a revenue package consisting of a gas tax of up to $0.13 per gallon of gas for some of the capital improvements. If approved, I think Hwy 12 to Nine Mile is included. With yet the most expensive phase, Nine Mile to Wallula, to be funded at a later date.